Government of Timor-Leste

On August 15th, 2026, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão laid the foundation stone for the Maukola-Lomea irrigation system rehabilitation project in the municipality of Covalima, which will restore the water supply to the affected agricultural areas and support an increase in local production.

The Maukola-Lomea irrigation system ceased operating following the collapse of the dam in 2004, leading to the abandonment of extensive areas of farmland. The project now underway will restore this infrastructure and re-establish the water supply for agricultural production in the affected communities.

During the ceremony, the Prime Minister highlighted the need to increase national production and reduce dependence on food imports.

“They have not produced rice since 2004 because the irrigation system is damaged, and for over 20 years they have been buying rice from abroad. That is why today we are commencing its restoration,” said Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.

The Head of Government also highlighted the challenges Timor-Leste faces in strengthening its economic autonomy: “We have had 24 years of independence, but economically we are not yet independent; we remain highly dependent because we buy imported rice and many other things that we could produce in our own country.”

The Prime Minister also called on the domestic private sector to invest not only in construction but also in productive sectors, in order to contribute to increasing national production and reducing dependence on imports.

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz, explained that the restoration of the irrigation system aligns with the objectives of the Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030 and the priorities of the 9th Constitutional Government to increase agricultural production.

The project provides for the rehabilitation of the irrigation system over an area of approximately 3,500 hectares and includes the construction of a dam around 150 metres long, two floodgates, protective structures, approximately seven kilometres of main canal, and 40 kilometres of secondary canals.

According to the President of the Covalima Municipal Authority, Miguel Armada Cardoso, the system is expected to benefit around 9,200 residents in the sucos of Beco and Taz-Hilin, representing more than 2,600 households.

“Once the irrigation system is restored and we have water, we will be able to cultivate our fields again, meet our own food needs, and reduce rice imports, which until now have come from abroad,” he said.

The project represents an investment of approximately 15.2 million US dollars, plus about 800,000 dollars for consultancy and supervision services, with an estimated execution timeframe of approximately two years.

The ceremony was attended by members of the Government and the National Parliament, representatives of civil society, local authorities, and communities covered by the project.